At the height of the downturn in 2009, the European Union’s (EU) gross
domestic product (GDP) contracted by 4. 5 percent. Poland’s, by contrast, grew
by 1. 6 percent. In the four years that followed, GDP growth totaled 5. 5 percent
across the EU. In Poland, it totaled 20 percent.

Since the end of communist rule 26 years ago, the EU’s sixth-largest economy
has developed a strong internal market that so far has been immune
to external conditions. Poland’s bright present belies its bleak past,
according to Antoni Starczynowski, PMP, a Warsaw, Poland-based
client program and project manager, Hewlett-Packard Polska.

“In the past, we were a poor nation in terms of development andwealth; now, it’s time to buy,” he says. “We didn’t have cars. Wedidn’t have phones. We didn’t have televisions. In the last 10 to 15years, people have been buying everything they used to lack.”It’s not just people—it’s also government and business. Catalyzedby a massive EU aid package that’s incentivizing everything fromhighways to stadiums, both the public and private sectors are makingsizable investments in Polish projects.

“There are new companies coming into Poland and new projects starting up
here all the time,” Mr. Starczynowski says. “It’s totally different than it used to be
20 years ago. Our situation has changed by 360 degrees, and that’s very exciting.”

While manycountries continueto feel the effectsof the globalfinancial crisis,Poland not onlysurvived relativelyunscathed, but is now stronger than ever.

“There are newcompanies coming intoPoland and new projectsstarting up here all thetime. Our situation haschanged by 360 degrees, andthat’s very exciting.”